This is a nine day week as the NHL starts play Saturday in the condensed 48 game schedule which will be played in only 99 days. There are six teams that play five games in one week, starting with the St. Louis Blues who do so the week of January 21st. Fantasy players who use weekly moves rather than daily ones, can get quite a boost by playing the schedule and moving the right players in and out of their lineup.

When you're in hockey pools and cannot decide between two players, tend to take the Eastern Conference player as the Western Conference players will have to travel a lot more than their Eastern counterparts and that could make a difference in your pool.

The Ducks play the Canucks twice this week so fisticuffs may well be in order. Brad Staubitz and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond should be able to handle anything the Canucks enforcers will throw at them. Anaheim will be rested on Monday when they are in Calgary who play San Jose at home Sunday. They will be tired Saturday when hosting Nashville after playing the Canucks on Friday. Look for Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to have comeback years. Peter Holland could surprise. New additions include Sheldon Souray and Bryan Allen.

BOSTON

Games this week

vs. New York Rangers, vs. Winnipeg, @ New York Rangers, vs. New York Islanders

The Sabres play five times in nine days including three in four nights so expect to see Jhonas Enroth between the pipes once in place of Ryan Miller. Buffalo goes back-to-back in a home-and-home series against the Hurricanes so Steve Ott and Patrick Kaleta should be seeing a lot of time in the penalty box. The Sabres will be tired on Monday playing a rested Toronto team after opening at home against the Flyers Sunday. Cody Hodgson looks to take over the top center spot while Ott, who was acquired in the off-season from Dallas, should grab a spot on the second line.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Anaheim, @ Vancouver, vs. Edmonton

Notes

The Flames play three games in four nights and then play only once in the last four nights of the week. Miikka Kiprusoff will get at least three starts but the backup goalie is still up in the air as of this writing as the Flames placed both backup goalies Henrik Karlsson and Leland Irving on waivers Thursday. They will be tired on Monday when they play against the rested Ducks after facing the Sharks Sunday. It appears that Jarome Iginla has recovered from a groin injury and will be ready to go for the opener Sunday. Keep an eye on rookie Roman Cervenka who could have a big year in Calgary. Jiri Hudler’s father passed away at the young age of 50. The funeral is Friday in the Czech Republic but Hudler is expected to leave right after and should be in the Calgary lineup Sunday. Our condolences to Jiri and his family.

CAROLINA

Games this week

@ Florida, vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Buffalo, @ Buffalo

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights and Cam Ward should get a night off once this week. Dan Ellis, a recent acquisition, will back up Ward this season and should see action once this week. The Hurricanes are rested on Tuesday when they host Tampa Bay who play the Islanders on Monday. Jordan Staal was the big addition in the off-season and was slated to play with big brother Eric but the hip injury and subsequent surgery of Tuomo Ruutu forced the 'Canes to split up the Staal brothers who will now center the top two lines. Zach Boychuk is playing with Eric Staal and Alexander Semin (the other top acquisition during the off-season) while Zac Dalpe is skating alongside Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner as training camp winds to an end. Boychuk and Dalpe will have fantasy value if they continue to play as top-six forwards.

NotesThe Blackhawks play six times this week so we recommend putting in all your Chicago players in pools with weekly moves. Look for Ray Emery to play at least twice in relief of Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks are rested on Tuesday when they face the tired Blues who play in Nashville Monday but are tired Sunday Jan. 27 when they face a rested Detroit squad after travelling from Columbus Saturday. The Blackhawks play 10 of their first 12 games on the road, so they have to be on form early or risk being out of playoff contention before they start playing the majority of their games at home. Steve Montador is out with a concussion. He had recovered from a February concussion but ran into a teammate during an informal practice and is not ready to go. Look for Patrick Kane to take his game to a new level this season.

COLORADO

Games this week

@ Minnesota, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Columbus, @ San Jose

Notes

The Avalanche are a rested team on Thursday when they play a tired Columbus team who are in Phoenix team the night before. The Avs had one major signing this off-season when they inked P.A. Parenteau to a long-term deal. Look for Matt Duchene to have a comeback season. Semyon Varlamov should improve upon last season’s stats. Ryan O'Reilly is still a restricted free agent as of Friday morning and last season’s top point getter could spend the year in the KHL if the two sides can't agree and he is not dealt elsewhere.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ Nashville vs. Detroit, @ Phoenix, @ Colorado, vs. Chicago

Notes

The Blue Jackets have a five game schedule in nine days. Steve Mason and Sergei Bobrovsky will split the net but look for Bobrovsky to take over eventually. They are tired Thursday when they face the Avs after playing in Phoenix the previous night. The Blue Jackets have undergone mega changes since the end of last season as they dealt Rick Nash to the Rangers and received Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and Tim Erixon in return. They have been unhappy with Mason in net so they dealt for Bobrovsky. I like Cam Atkinson this season, especially if he sees time on the top unit alongside Derick Brassard and R.J. Umberger.

DALLAS

Games this week

vs. Phoenix, @ Minnesota, @ Detroit, vs. Chicago, vs. St. Louis

Notes

The Stars will play three games in four nights so Richard Bachman should get at least one start in place of Kari Lehtonen. Look for Dallas to give Bachman a little more time in net as they do not want to risk a groin injury to Lehtonen who has been prone to such injuries in the past. They are rested on Tuesday when they face the Red Wings who play in Columbus Monday. Dallas picked up Derek Roy, Cody Eakin, Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney in the off-season as well as Aaron Rome. The Stars could have a bit of trouble later in the season as Jagr is 40 as is Ray Whitney. Jamie Benn is still a restricted free agent and is waiting to sign with the Stars.

DETROIT

Games this week

@ St. Louis, @ Columbus, vs. Dallas, vs. Minnesota, @ Chicago

Notes

The Red Wings will get an early chance to see how new backup Jonas Gustavsson plays as Detroit has five games this period including three games in four nights. They are tired Tuesday when they host the Stars after playing in Columbus on Martin Luther King Day. Detroit is rested on Sunday when they face a tired Chicago team who face Columbus Saturday. Detroit lost a couple of key pieces on the blueline with the retirement of all-time great Nicklas Lidstrom and veteran Brad Stuart and may be hard pressed to make the playoffs. They did sign Swiss star Damien Brunner who is slated to start the season on the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings also added some grit with the inking of Jordin Tootoo.

Welcome back!

It’s been a long time since I last wrote a Week Ahead column, March 31st in fact, so I am quite happy that the NHL is finally back and there is hockey to watch this weekend.

This is a nine day week as the NHL starts play Saturday in the condensed 48 game schedule which will be played in only 99 days. There are six teams that play five games in one week, starting with the St. Louis Blues who do so the week of January 21st. Fantasy players who use weekly moves rather than daily ones, can get quite a boost by playing the schedule and moving the right players in and out of their lineup.

When you're in hockey pools and cannot decide between two players, tend to take the Eastern Conference player as the Western Conference players will have to travel a lot more than their Eastern counterparts and that could make a difference in your pool.

The Ducks play the Canucks twice this week so fisticuffs may well be in order. Brad Staubitz and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond should be able to handle anything the Canucks enforcers will throw at them. Anaheim will be rested on Monday when they are in Calgary who play San Jose at home Sunday. They will be tired Saturday when hosting Nashville after playing the Canucks on Friday. Look for Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to have comeback years. Peter Holland could surprise. New additions include Sheldon Souray and Bryan Allen.

BOSTON

Games this week

vs. New York Rangers, vs. Winnipeg, @ New York Rangers, vs. New York Islanders

The Sabres play five times in nine days including three in four nights so expect to see Jhonas Enroth between the pipes once in place of Ryan Miller. Buffalo goes back-to-back in a home-and-home series against the Hurricanes so Steve Ott and Patrick Kaleta should be seeing a lot of time in the penalty box. The Sabres will be tired on Monday playing a rested Toronto team after opening at home against the Flyers Sunday. Cody Hodgson looks to take over the top center spot while Ott, who was acquired in the off-season from Dallas, should grab a spot on the second line.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Anaheim, @ Vancouver, vs. Edmonton

Notes

The Flames play three games in four nights and then play only once in the last four nights of the week. Miikka Kiprusoff will get at least three starts but the backup goalie is still up in the air as of this writing as the Flames placed both backup goalies Henrik Karlsson and Leland Irving on waivers Thursday. They will be tired on Monday when they play against the rested Ducks after facing the Sharks Sunday. It appears that Jarome Iginla has recovered from a groin injury and will be ready to go for the opener Sunday. Keep an eye on rookie Roman Cervenka who could have a big year in Calgary. Jiri Hudler’s father passed away at the young age of 50. The funeral is Friday in the Czech Republic but Hudler is expected to leave right after and should be in the Calgary lineup Sunday. Our condolences to Jiri and his family.

CAROLINA

Games this week

@ Florida, vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Buffalo, @ Buffalo

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights and Cam Ward should get a night off once this week. Dan Ellis, a recent acquisition, will back up Ward this season and should see action once this week. The Hurricanes are rested on Tuesday when they host Tampa Bay who play the Islanders on Monday. Jordan Staal was the big addition in the off-season and was slated to play with big brother Eric but the hip injury and subsequent surgery of Tuomo Ruutu forced the 'Canes to split up the Staal brothers who will now center the top two lines. Zach Boychuk is playing with Eric Staal and Alexander Semin (the other top acquisition during the off-season) while Zac Dalpe is skating alongside Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner as training camp winds to an end. Boychuk and Dalpe will have fantasy value if they continue to play as top-six forwards.

NotesThe Blackhawks play six times this week so we recommend putting in all your Chicago players in pools with weekly moves. Look for Ray Emery to play at least twice in relief of Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks are rested on Tuesday when they face the tired Blues who play in Nashville Monday but are tired Sunday Jan. 27 when they face a rested Detroit squad after travelling from Columbus Saturday. The Blackhawks play 10 of their first 12 games on the road, so they have to be on form early or risk being out of playoff contention before they start playing the majority of their games at home. Steve Montador is out with a concussion. He had recovered from a February concussion but ran into a teammate during an informal practice and is not ready to go. Look for Patrick Kane to take his game to a new level this season.

COLORADO

Games this week

@ Minnesota, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Columbus, @ San Jose

Notes

The Avalanche are a rested team on Thursday when they play a tired Columbus team who are in Phoenix team the night before. The Avs had one major signing this off-season when they inked P.A. Parenteau to a long-term deal. Look for Matt Duchene to have a comeback season. Semyon Varlamov should improve upon last season’s stats. Ryan O'Reilly is still a restricted free agent as of Friday morning and last season’s top point getter could spend the year in the KHL if the two sides can't agree and he is not dealt elsewhere.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ Nashville vs. Detroit, @ Phoenix, @ Colorado, vs. Chicago

Notes

The Blue Jackets have a five game schedule in nine days. Steve Mason and Sergei Bobrovsky will split the net but look for Bobrovsky to take over eventually. They are tired Thursday when they face the Avs after playing in Phoenix the previous night. The Blue Jackets have undergone mega changes since the end of last season as they dealt Rick Nash to the Rangers and received Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and Tim Erixon in return. They have been unhappy with Mason in net so they dealt for Bobrovsky. I like Cam Atkinson this season, especially if he sees time on the top unit alongside Derick Brassard and R.J. Umberger.

DALLAS

Games this week

vs. Phoenix, @ Minnesota, @ Detroit, vs. Chicago, vs. St. Louis

Notes

The Stars will play three games in four nights so Richard Bachman should get at least one start in place of Kari Lehtonen. Look for Dallas to give Bachman a little more time in net as they do not want to risk a groin injury to Lehtonen who has been prone to such injuries in the past. They are rested on Tuesday when they face the Red Wings who play in Columbus Monday. Dallas picked up Derek Roy, Cody Eakin, Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney in the off-season as well as Aaron Rome. The Stars could have a bit of trouble later in the season as Jagr is 40 as is Ray Whitney. Jamie Benn is still a restricted free agent and is waiting to sign with the Stars.

DETROIT

Games this week

@ St. Louis, @ Columbus, vs. Dallas, vs. Minnesota, @ Chicago

Notes

The Red Wings will get an early chance to see how new backup Jonas Gustavsson plays as Detroit has five games this period including three games in four nights. They are tired Tuesday when they host the Stars after playing in Columbus on Martin Luther King Day. Detroit is rested on Sunday when they face a tired Chicago team who face Columbus Saturday. Detroit lost a couple of key pieces on the blueline with the retirement of all-time great Nicklas Lidstrom and veteran Brad Stuart and may be hard pressed to make the playoffs. They did sign Swiss star Damien Brunner who is slated to start the season on the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings also added some grit with the inking of Jordin Tootoo.

EDMONTON

Games this week

@ Vancouver, vs. San Jose, vs. Los Angeles, @ Calgary

Notes

The Oilers are rested this Sunday when they open their season against Vancouver with Canucks opening at home on Saturday against the Ducks. The Oilers won the Justin Schultz sweepstakes in the off-season, signing the rookie defenseman and it looks like a steal thus far as Schultz was second in AHL scoring during the lockout, trailing only teammate Jordan Eberle. The Oilers got a break in that all their young stars played together in Oklahoma City, including Eberle, Schultz, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall. When you add Nail Yakupov who was the first overall pick in the 2012 Draft to the squad, and he played in the KHL, the Oilers should come out of the gate flying. Their goaltending could be a problem but Devan Dubnyk had a solid second half in the 2011-12 season, albeit under little to no pressure as the Oilers were out of the playoff race by mid-season.

FLORIDA

Games this week

vs. Carolina, @ Ottawa, @ Montreal, vs. Ottawa, vs. Philadelphia

Notes

The Panthers play five times in this period including three games in four nights so expect to see Scott Clemmensen play at least once in place of Jose Theodore. The duo have Jacob Markstrom chomping at the bit but he’ll likely spend the rest of this season in the minors barring an injury to either one of the Florida goalkeepers, and then start the season in 2013-14 with the Panthers. The Panthers will be tired on Tuesday when they are in Montreal to play the Habs after playing in Ottawa the previous night. Calder Trophy candidate Jonathan Huberdeau will start the season on the second line centering veteran Alexei Kovalev and Peter Mueller in what could be a dynamic line for Florida. Eric Gundbranson is still suspended for getting injured while wakeboarding in September but will be reinstated as soon as he is healthy enough to play which could be as early as the Ottawa home game.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

vs. Chicago, @ Colorado, @ Edmonton, @ Phoenix

Notes

The Stanley Cup champions have a relatively easy week as they play only four times in nine days with no back-to-back games. Jonathan Quick had off-season back surgery and was recently given medical clearance to play so his fantasy owners are happy that he will play a whole NHL season rather than missing half. Anze Kopitar injured his knee in Europe but has been fitted for a knee brace and is back skating. Look for him to return by the weekend of the 26th. Jonathan Bernier’s name keeps coming up in trade talks but the Kings first want to determine the health of Quick before contemplating a trade for the disgruntled Bernier. Look for a big season from Drew Doughty and Slava Voynov as well as a comeback from Jeff Carter. Do not be surprised if Dustin Penner also has a good fantasy season.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

vs. Colorado, vs. Dallas, vs. Nashville, @ Detroit, @ St. Louis

Notes

The Wild play five times including three games in four nights so Josh Harding will see some action in net in relief of Niklas Backstrom. Minnesota gets a break this week as they are the rested team twice. They play a tired Nashville team on Tuesday as the Predators are home to St. Louis Monday and face a tired St. Louis team on Sunday as the Blues are in Dallas Saturday. The Wild made the biggest splash in the off-season as the signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to huge contracts. They also inked enforcer Zenon Konopka to a deal and his presence will make it easier for the rest of the team to have some skating room when he is on the ice. The oft-injured Pierre-Marc Bouchard has been cleared to play and look for a big offensive year from him if he can stay away from his concussion woes. Rookie Mikael Granlund has a shot to win the Calder.

MONTREAL

Games this week

vs. Toronto, vs. Florida, @ Washington, vs. New Jersey

Notes

The Canadiens are rested on Tuesday when they face a tired Florida team who play in Ottawa the previous night. They still have not signed restricted free agent P.K. Subban as of Friday morning and if they cannot get his signature on a contract then it could be a long three-plus months in Montreal. Andrei Markov is hoping to finally stay healthy and if he is able to, he will have a very good fantasy season. The off-season signing of Brandon Prust will help out the Canadiens and fantasy players who are in pools where penalty minutes count. Alex Galchenyuk, the third overall pick in the 2012 Draft, has been turning heads and could stick with the team to start the season.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

vs. Columbus, vs. St. Louis, @ Minnesota, @ St. Louis, @ Anaheim

Notes

The Predators play five times and three games in four nights so it is too much to expect Pekka Rinne to play all five games. Chris Mason will therefore likely see action in at least one game. The Predators are tired on Tuesday when they take on the rested Wild as Nashville play St. Louis Monday but then are the rested team Saturday when they face a tired Ducks squad who host Vancouver on Friday. They play the Blues twice this week so look for Richard Clune and Brian McGrattan spend some time in the penalty box as tempers should flare at some point against St. Louis. The game in Minnesota starts a seven game road trip. The Predators were hurt when Ryan Suter left to go to Minnesota, but the team matched an offer by the Flyers for restricted free agent Shea Weber and Weber will likely spend the remainder of his career in Music City.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

@ New York Islanders, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Washington, @ Montreal

Notes

New Jersey will be rested on Friday when they take on a tired Washington team who host Montreal Thursday. The Devils will be banking on veterans Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg in goal and at the ages of 40 and 39 respectively, the compressed schedule 48 games in 98 days may come back to haunt them by the end of the season. The Devils were severely hurt in the off-season when Zach Parise decided to return to his home state of Minnesota and play for the Wild. Look for Travis Zajac to return from an injury –plagued 2011-12 season with a flourish. The Devils went to the Cup final in 2012 but could be hard-pressed to make it into the playoffs as they are an aging team.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

vs. New Jersey, vs. Tampa Bay, @ Toronto, @ Boston, @ Winnipeg

Notes

The Islanders play five games this period and three in four nights so look for Rick DiPietro to get a couple of starts, unless he gets hurt, in place of Evgeni Nabokov. They are tired Monday when they face a rested Lightning team and on Friday in Boston when they have to travel from Toronto the previous night. New York’s game against Toronto is the start of a five game road trip. The Isles are rested when they face the Maple Leafs who are in Pittsburgh Wednesday. The Islanders big news in the off-season was that they are moving for the 2015-16 to Brooklyn and leaving Long Island. Joshua Bailey and Jesse Joensuu were injured while playing in Europe and the Islanders have suspended the pair, although the NHLPA will likely grieve. Lubomir Visnovsky is still in Europe and it could be a couple of weeks before he returns as there appears to be family issues in play.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

@ Boston, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Boston, @Philadelphia, vs. Toronto

Notes

The Rangers play five games including three in four nights so it is likely that Martin Biron will play once in relief of the best goalie in the world at this time, Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers are tired Thursday when they travel to Philadelphia after hosting the Bruins Wednesday. New York made the biggest trade of the off-season when they finally snagged the Blue Jackets Rick Nash, giving up Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky and Tim Erixon. Nash will give the Rangers his goal scoring ability and could push them over the top as far as the Stanley Cup is concerned. They signed tough guy Arron Asham who will sit out the first game of the season as he was suspended in the playoffs while playing for the Penguins.

OTTAWA

Games this week

@ Winnipeg, vs. Florida, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay, vs. Pittsburgh

Notes

The Senators also play a five spot with three games coming in four nights. Craig Anderson is the starting goalie and should get three or four starts while Ben Bishop, who is currently the backup but has Robin Lehner pushing him and Anderson, will get at least one start. Ottawa will be tired on Friday when they travel to Tampa Bay after playing in Florida the previous night. The Thursday tilt against the Panthers will be part of a back-to-back series and tempers should flare. The Senators lost plenty of toughness in the off-season as they lost Zenon Konopka, Nick Foligno and Matt Carkner, but still have Chris Neil whose penalty minute totals will likely increase this season. Look for a big year from rookie Jakub Silfverberg.

The Flyers play six times in nine days and three in four nights so figure on Ilya Bryzgalov playing at least four times and backup Michael Leighton at least once. The Flyers are rested Thursday when they face the Rangers who take on Boston the previous night but are tired on Sunday when they are in Tampa Bay as they play in Florida Saturday. Their big moves in the off-season were on the blueline, giving up James van Riemsdyk for Luke Schenn and signing Kurtis Foster which should help the power play. The Schenn move should help his younger brother Brayden so look for the youngster to move into a top-six role up front.

PHOENIX

Games this week

@ Detroit, vs. Chicago, vs. Columbus, @ San Jose, vs. Los Angeles

Notes

The Coyotes are still in Phoenix and should have a new owner by the end of the month in Greg Jamison. They play five games this period including three games in four nights. Mike Smith, the surprise sensation last season, returns and should get four starts this week with Jason Labarbera playing once. The Coyotes are tired Thursday when they face a rested San Jose team as Phoenix are home to Columbus on Wednesday. They lost their top scorer from last season in Ray Whitney but inked former Penguin Steve Sullivan. Raffi Torres will still miss the first eight games of the season due to his suspension in the playoffs for his hit on Marian Hossa. Look for a big year again from blueliners Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the underrated Keith Yandle.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

@ Philadelphia, @ New York Rangers, vs. Toronto, @ Winnipeg, @ Ottawa

Notes

The Penguins play five times but are lucky enough not to play three games in four nights. Nevertheless, look for off-season free agent acquisition Tomas Vokoun to play at least once in place of Marc-Andre Fleury. Sidney Crosby has pronounced himself 100 percent healthy from his concussion woes and if he remains healthy, watch out as the Penguins could be the team to beat in the NHL. Evgeni Malkin gives Pittsburgh the best one-two punch in the league and when you add James Neal and defenseman Kris Letang to the mix, you can definitely see the firepower of the Penguins. They traded Jordan Staal in the off-season but received the pesky Brandon Sutter in return as well as the eighth overall pick in the 2012 Draft which they turned into blueliner Derrick Pouliot.

The Blues play six times including three in four nights so look for Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott to split the cage. The Blues are tired two nights this week, first on Tuesday when they play Chicago after they take on the Predators in Nashville; and on Sunday when they host Minnesota, after they are in Dallas Saturday. Look for a good season from Chris Stewart who struggled last season with only 15 goals and 30 points as he lost over 20 pounds in the off-season. Vladimir Tarasenko has Calder Trophy aspirations and should line up on the second line this season. If Andy McDonald remains healthy and that is always a big if, he should lead the Blues in points.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Calgary, @ Edmonton, vs. Phoenix, vs. Colorado, vs. Vancouver

Notes

The Sharks play five times including three games in four nights so look for Thomas Greiss to play at least once in place of Antti Niemi. The Phoenix game is the start of a five game homestand. The Sharks are rested on Thursday when they take on a tired Phoenix team who entertain Columbus on Wednesday, while they are tired Sunday when they face Vancouver after playing Colorado Saturday. Expect a big year from Martin Havlat who was injured most of last season after trading for him from the Wild in the summer of 2011. He’ll be part of a big top-six as Havlat will line up on the second line with Logan Couture and Ryane Clowe while Joe Thornton will center the top unit between Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski.

The Lightning play five times including three games in four nights so look for Anders Lindback, the big off-season acquisition, to play three or four times while Mathieu Garon will play the remainder. The Lightning get a big break as they are the rested team three times this week while being tired and playing a rested team once. They will be rested against the Islanders on Monday, Ottawa on Friday and the Flyers on Sunday while being tired versus Carolina Tuesday. Tampa Bay made a couple of nice free agent signings on the blueline with Matt Carle and Sami Salo and are looking to Victor Hedman to take his game to the next level. They have the best goal scorer in the game in Steve Stamkos but some of their forwards are getting on in age including Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. AHL rookie of the year Cory Conacher has cracked the lineup and could surprise.

The Maple Leafs play five games including three games in four nights so it appears that James Reimer and Ben Scrivens will split the net three and two or two and three. Roberto Luongo rumors to Toronto persist but if Reimer or Scrivens get off to a hot start, then the rumors could die down. The Maple Leafs are rested on Monday when they face the Sabres but are tired on Thursday when they face the Islanders after playing in Pittsburgh the previous night. Toronto has decided to go young as they traded Matthew Lombardi to Phoenix and put Tim Connolly on waivers. They made only a couple of moves in the off-season as they signed third line center Jay McClement to a contract and traded defenseman Luke Schenn to Philadelphia for James van Riemsdyk.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Anaheim, vs. Edmonton, vs. Calgary, @ Anaheim @ San Jose

Notes

The Canucks play five times but not three games in four nights. Expect to see Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo split the net this season, at least until a trade is made. If the Canucks decide to keep both, it will knock down the fantasy value of both but could help in the playoffs. The Canucks are tired when they face the Oilers on the 20th as they host Anaheim Saturday but are rested Sunday the 27th when they face the Sharks who play Colorado Saturday. Vancouver will be looking for a second line center as Ryan Kesler still has not been medically cleared after undergoing shoulder and hip surgery in the off-season. David Booth is out four-six weeks with a strained groin. Jason Garrison was their big acquisition this past summer. He will team with Alexander Edler on the first power play as a point man.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

@ Tampa Bay, vs. Winnipeg, vs. Montreal, @ New Jersey, vs. Buffalo

Notes

The Capitals play five times including three games in four nights so expect to see Braden Holtby play three times while Michal Neuvirth should see the net twice. The Capitals are rested on Tuesday when they face Winnipeg who are in Boston the previous night and are tired Friday when they play New Jersey on Friday after hosting Montreal the previous night. Look for Alex Ovechkin to return to form now that new coach Adam Oates is on board. He should be a top five scorer. I’m really high on the comeback of Mike Green after two injury filled seasons but I did write the same thing last season. It’s nice to see Tom Poti back in the lineup after missing two years with a groin injury.

The Jets play five games including three games in four nights. Ondrej Pavelec should see action in three or four games with Al Montoya mopping up. The Jets will be tired on Tuesday when they travel to Washington after being in Boston on Monday. They made a nice off-season pick up when they signed Olli Jokinen to center the top line. The Jets have a strong defense with Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom leading the way but could be a little weak up front and that could cost them a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Expect the Winnipeg Jets to move over to the Western Conference next season with one of Detroit, Nashville or Columbus moving to the East.